


A Legacy Born of Shadow & Sun

by yamadadzawa (liarielle)



Category: Haikyuu!!, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, BNHA Characters as Heroes and U.A. Staff, Crossover, DON'T LIKE DON'T READ PLEASE, Dead Yagi Toshinori | All Might, F/F, F/M, Haikyuu Characters as Class 1-A & 1-B, I am not accepting criticisms of the haikyuu character quirks, I promise I am not trying to shout :(, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Majorly Altered Canon Timeline, Midoriya Izuku is the 8th Holder of One for All, Multi, Number One Hero Midoriya Izuku, Pro Hero Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Pro Hero Shimura Hana, Pro Hero Shimura Tenko, Queer Characters, Queer Themes, Quirkless Hinata Shouyou, Some BNHA Characters Aged Up Others Not, That is the major character death in the warnings, Trans & Nonbinary Characters, U.A. is a University (My Hero Academia), it won't let me have that tag in lowercase, or the trans/queer headcanons present in this story, there are a lot of trans characters and I will not be stopped, this is the most self indulgent thing I will EVER write, trans themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26575828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liarielle/pseuds/yamadadzawa
Summary: Shouyou accepted his quirklessness a long time ago, and he’s determined to believe that it’s not a bad thing. That being said...Shouyou wants a quirk. It’s not because he thinks he can’t save people without one. It’s just...Shouyou wants to help so many people. He’d help everyone if he could. That’s what it means to reach the top. It means saving a lot of people, over and over. And that has to mean something, putting that much good into the world. There’s nothing Shouyou wants more.-----Or, a BNHA x Haikyuu crossover, where Number One Hero Deku joins the staff of UA University, in search of a successor, and a familiar evil lurks in the shadows.- - -Please note: all of my fics are on a temporary/intermittent hiatus. I will get back to regular monthly updates when I am able.
Relationships: Background relationships - Relationship, Haikyuu Characters & BNHA Characters, Hinata Natsu & Hinata Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou & Karasuno Volleyball Club, Hinata Shouyou & Kozume Kenma, Hinata Shouyou & Midoriya Izuku, Hinata Shouyou & Ukai Keishin, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Midoriya Izuku & Kageyama Tobio, Midoriya Izuku & Sasaki Mirai | Sir Nighteye, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, a lot of them - Relationship
Comments: 26
Kudos: 70





	A Legacy Born of Shadow & Sun

**Author's Note:**

> **HEY HEY HEY LITTLE LISTENERS!**
> 
> Y’all, this project has been something I’ve been working on for _months_ , since June! I really wanted to write a BNHA x Haikyuu crossover, and I’m more comfortable writing within the bnha plot and universe. That sparked the idea, and it spread from there! 
> 
> Essentially, we’ve got the Haikyuu characters coming in as the cohort of students within the existing bnha canon. I’ve aged up a lot of bnha characters, but not all! None of the UA teachers/heroes have been aged up, for example. Haikyuu characters have some age adjustments as well, to bring them all to the age of 18/19 when they start school at UA (which is obviously now a university, because I’ve been wanting to write that for a while now too). 
> 
> Because this is a more involved piece, I’ll have a permanent end note for this fic that will contain a link to a document with a character list and some ages (and I’ll update that document with additional information as needed). I’ll do my best to weave information in naturally in the story where I can though! 
> 
> If you’ve read my other fics there will be some familiar OCs, and some new ones! And I as I mention in the tags, I’m filling this story with trans and queer headcanons, because I am fully embracing this as a self indulgent project. If that’s not your thing, this probably ain’t the story for you! 
> 
> I did not want to completely flood the tags with every character and important relationship. There would be **way** too many. I’ll update as the story goes along if necessary. For now, the most important ones are there. You can essentially assume that any common important relationships from both BNHA and Haikyuu exist in this fic. There will be additional romantic pairings besides just KageHina and TodoDeku. If folks want to know those now rather than later, I can add them in by request. 
> 
> I hope I’m not forgetting anything. I don’t have a set update schedule for this fic, nor do I think that all chapters will be as long as this first chapter. Early chapters may be longer to establish the crossover world, and subsequent chapters will likely settle into the 3-5k range. 
> 
> Thanks to [Red](https://archiveofourown.org/users/12Redsky34/pseuds/12Redsky34) and [Chaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plusultrachaos/pseuds/plusultrachaos) for beta reading as always!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning for this chapter: implied/reference neglect, implied/referenced alcoholism

“I’m sorry, Shouyou.”

Shouyou hears that a lot, especially from his mom, and he doesn’t understand _why._ Shouyou is short, and small, and has what he’s heard his doctor call ‘behavioral problems’. He doesn’t entirely know what that means, but he knows his mom usually looks upset when it’s mentioned. Her face either gets really red, or really pale, and she won’t look at anyone, especially Shouyou. 

‘I’m sorry, Shouyou’, mom says, when his doctor checks his height and his weight. 

‘I’m sorry, Shouyou,’ mom says, when his doctor explains that he’ll likely continue to have difficulty with attention, memory, and being hyperactive. He understands the first two words, but not the third. 

‘I’m sorry, Shouyou,’ mom says, when his doctor tells them that Shouyou is definitively quirkless. 

Shouyou really doesn’t understand why mom is always sorry, and never for the things he wants her to be sorry about. She’s sorry that he’s short and small, but Shouyou is fast and can fit in tight spaces that no one else can. She’s sorry that Shouyou has attention and behavioral problems, but Shouyou thinks he behaves just fine—and he doesn’t have any trouble paying attention to things he enjoys. She’s sorry that Shouyou is quirkless, and...okay. Sure, he’d like to have a quirk, but he doesn’t need a quirk to run as fast as he does, or jump as high as he does! He’s faster and can jump higher than everyone else at school. He’s been keeping up with them just fine when they play heroes, so maybe he can be one without a quirk! 

Mom was also sorry when Shouyou told her that he was _Shouyou_. He had a different name before, and mom called him her daughter, but she stopped as soon as he asked! He doesn’t understand what she’s sorry about. She’s told him a few times, something about his doctor being no help, but Shouyou doesn’t see any issues. Mom calls him Shouyou, and calls him a boy. Even though most of his teachers won’t, that’s okay. Because Mom does. 

Shouyou’s teachers are sorry when they find out he’s quirkless too. So are his friends. Suddenly, none of them want to play with him anymore. But Shouyou’s never been good at being quiet, or ignored, so he plays with them anyways. They can’t outrun him, or fit in his small spaces to hide from him, so eventually they have no choice but to let him play heroes again. They try to make him be the person that needs to be rescued by the heroes. Shouyou thinks that’s dumb, so he rescues himself. 

Shouyou rescues himself a _lot_. From the villains when they play heroes, from bullies as he gets older and starts elementary school, and from normal everyday things too. See, Mom apologizes for the things he doesn’t need her to. Never the things he wants her to. She doesn’t apologize for barely being home, or for the fridge being empty too often. So Shouyou rescues himself, and learns how to feed himself with what he can find. She doesn’t apologize for being asleep or _weird_ , when she is home. So Shouyou rescues himself, and learns how to tell if she’s having a good weird day or a bad weird day. On good weird days, she’s loud, and happy, and doesn’t want to be left alone. On bad weird days, she’s grumpy, and mean, and doesn’t want to see him. Shouyou is too young to really understand why she’s like this, but he’s old enough to know it has something to do with the empty bottles that pile up in their recycling. 

Shouyou is good at rescuing himself, and he gets better every year. As far as he’s concerned, he shouldn’t need a quirk to be a hero. If he can rescue himself, he can rescue other people too. 

\-----

Shouyou is eight years old when the Number One hero dies. He’s...sad. It feels like the whole country, no, the whole _world_ is sad. Heroes have died before, but when it’s All Might, it’s different. 

“Sensei, how did All Might die?” Someone asks during homeroom. “He’s _All Might!_ ” Shouyou looks up from his notebook, and keeps doodling even as he watches his teacher. She tries to smile, a facade of comfort, but whether it’s for her or her students, Shouyou doesn’t know. He looks back down at his notebook. Sensei is as lost as the rest of them. 

“No one knows,” Sensei replies. “We know there was a villain, and Inage ward was evacuated.” Shouyou frowns, and bounces his leg, and holds his breath. He’s trying, he’s doing his best to keep the words in, but they burst out anyways. 

“Why don’t we know?” All heads turn to Shouyou. Sensei looks annoyed, and so do some of his classmates. But the others look like they agree with him. 

“We just don’t, Hinata-kun,” Sensei says, her tone firm. That’s her ‘It’s time to stop talking, Shouyou’ voice. Shouyou presses his lips together, but it doesn’t help. 

“But we should!” He insists. “Why don’t we? If there was a fight, there should have been people, like. Like, like helicopters! News people! And, and civilians, and other heroes! So why-“ 

“I don’t know Hinata!” Sensei snaps. Shouyou deflates and sinks down in his seat, his cheeks burning. He _hates_ when Sensei yells at him. He stares at his desk, and counts the pattern in the grain, in the same order that he does everyday when he needs to distract himself from distracting the class. 

This time, though, Sensei sighs. And...

“I’m sorry, Shouyou.” Shouyou whips his head up, and stares at his teacher with wide eyes. He’s heard that before, so many times, from so many people, but never like they actually mean it. 

“I don’t know why no one was there,” Sensei says softly. “But you’re right. We should know, and we just don’t.” Sensei’s mouth thins, like she’s trying to hold back words too, like Shouyou does. “Why don’t...why don’t we make cards for All Might, okay? We can send them to his agency, to thank him for everything he did as the Number One hero.” There’s a murmur throughout the class, and everyone seems to like that idea. 

It takes some time, getting the supplies out and passed around. Shouyou is the last to get to pick, like always, but he doesn’t care. He can make any colors work. 

Around him, Shouyou watches his peers write thank you cards. Thanking All Might for fighting villains, for catching bad guys, for being the strongest. Shouyou has finished the drawing on the front of his card. He opens it up, and stares at the blank inside. 

He doesn’t realize how long he’s been staring until the bell rings, and Sensei is standing by his desk. 

“Go ahead and write something, Hinata,” Sensei murmurs. Shouyou bites his lip and looks back down at the card. Finally, he writes. 

_I’m sorry no one was there to save you_. 

\-----

There’s a new kid in Shouyou’s class, and Shouyou is determined to be his friend. He’s quiet, and sits alone at lunch, and he has a Wild, Wild Pussycats lunchbox. Shouyou _needs_ to be his friend. He doesn’t think he can survive not being his friend. 

He doesn’t remember his name, and the kid seems to disappear half the time even when Shouyou swears he was _just_ looking at him, but he’s still going to be his friend. It’ll just take some extra work. Shouyou’s good at that. 

It takes him a week, but Shouyou figures it out. The new kid’s name is Kozume Kenma, and he disappears because of his quirk. Or at least, Shouyou is pretty sure that’s what’s happening. He can’t think of any other explanation. So now, Shouyou needs to find a way to work around Kozume’s quirk, and then...become his friend. Easy. 

Well, probably not. Despite his best efforts, no one ever wants to be Shouyou’s friend. As they’ve gotten older, Shouyou has cared less about being quirkless. His peers have started caring _more_. They’ve also gotten better at avoiding him, or ganging up on him, should the situation require it. With Shouyou’s persistence, the situation tends to require it a lot. He’s gotten good at rescuing himself from bruises and other injuries now too. 

But Kozume seems different! He’s quiet, and shy, and he seems gentle. Nice. Shouyou thinks it would be fun to be his friend. Shouyou would be the loud and annoying one, and Kozume would be the quiet one, and...

And then neither of them would be lonely. 

Shouyou finally gets lucky a few days later during recess. He’d kept a close and careful eye on Kozume when they left the classroom, and even though he quickly seemed to disappear from view, Shouyou knew he had to still be walking with the class. 

When they get outside, Shouyou pauses, and looks around, trying to determine where Kozume might go even though he can’t see him. It’s sunny today, and hot, and Shouyou has noticed that Kozume doesn’t seem to like being in the sun. So Shouyou looks at the few shaded areas, and...there! Kozume’s form is fuzzy at first, but slowly sharpens into view. Finally! Finally, Shouyou can go talk to him. 

Shouyou has almost reached Kozume’s spot when the other boy suddenly stiffens, and lurches to his feet. At first, Shouyou worries that Kozume is scared of him, but then he realizes that Kozume isn’t looking at him. He’s looking across the yard, so Shouyou turns to follow his line of sight. 

Oh. 

Shouyou doesn’t really need to think, he just moves. He dashes over to Kozume, and plants himself in front of him. 

“Use your quirk!” Shouyou urges. Kozume shies back, and narrows his eyes up at him. “Disappear, and I’ll keep them distracted until they leave!” Kozume’s eyes widen, just a fraction, and he seems to be wrestling with indecisiveness until finally, he’s just...gone. One second, Shouyou is looking right at him, and the next, there’s no one there. Shouyou whirls around right as the older kids reach them. 

“Hey!” One of them barks, sneering down at Shouyou. “Where’d the freak go?” 

“Huh?” Shouyou tilts his head, then grins brightly. “Oh! You must be looking for me!” One of the other kids laughs, and steps forward to shove Shouyou, hard. Shouyou is used to being shoved though, so he only loses his balance a little before he plants his feet and widens his stance enough to stay standing. 

“We’re not looking for a quirkless freak,” the older boy snarls. “We’re looking for the new freak. Supposed to be a boy, but wears skirts and has pink nails.” Huh. Shouyou never noticed that Kozume painted his nails. He wonders if the pink is pretty. 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about, but he sounds really cool!” Shouyou chirps. He gets a harder shove this time, one that pins him against the nearby wall. The rough concrete digs against his back, even through his clothes. 

“What a surprise, the quirkless freak thinks the weirdo freak sounds cool,” the boy pinning him drawls. Shouyou huffs and frowns at him. 

“Weirdo freak is a really redundant insult, you know,” Shouyou complains. It doesn’t win him any favors. It does win him a punch in the stomach, and oh, Shouyou forgot about this kid’s quirk. Acid secreting scales on his hands and up his arms. It stings, where it eats through his uniform and makes contact with his skin. 

On the plus side, though, the kid lets go of him, which means Shouyou can jump. And luckily, this guy isn’t too tall. It’s not a clean jump. Shouyou’s thigh knocks against the kid’s head a bit, and his landing is rough when he hits the ground behind him, but he has the space to run, so he does. 

They foolishly try to chase him, and Shouyou wears them out after a few minutes. When he’s sure that they’ve given up, he returns to the shaded spot, poking his finger through the hole in his uniform, frowning down at it. He won’t be able to buy a new one, and there’s no way mom will do it. He might as well learn how to sew. It should be simple enough to patch it up. 

Shouyou doesn’t see Kozume, but he figures it’s worth a shot. 

“Kozume?” He says quietly. “Are you there?” There’s no response at first, so Shouyou sighs and turns to leave. 

“You really think I sound cool?” A quiet voice says. Shouyou turns around and beams at the now visible Kozume. 

“Of course!” Shouyou answers. “Can I see your nails?” Kozume hesitates, and then slowly extends one of his hands. Shouyou gasps and grabs hold of his wrist, lifting his hand higher so he can look closer. There’s glitter! A soft noise catches Shouyou’s attention, and it takes his brain a second to register that it was a whimper. He quickly releases Kozume’s hand, and backpedals away from him. 

“Ah!” Shouyou cries. “I’m sorry!” Kozume is holding his wrist, and just stares at Shouyou for the longest time. Shouyou isn’t sure what to do. Kozume doesn’t want him to leave, Shouyou can tell that much. So...maybe he should talk. It’s one of the only things he’s really good at. 

“I didn’t mean to grab you like that,” Shouyou says. “I saw the glitter, and I got excited, because glitter is really pretty, and I wanted to see it closer, and turn your hand so it sparkled, but. But I should have asked! And I didn’t, which was bad, so-“

“It’s okay,” Kozume blurts out, still far quieter than Shouyou. “You...really like it?” Shouyou nods fervently, and he notices how Kozume watches his hair flopping with the motion. 

“You’ve been trying to talk to me,” Kozume says. He’s quieter now, but that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. Shouyou thinks he sounds calmer this way. 

“Yeah,” Shouyou admits. 

“Why?” Kozume tilts his head, looking at Shouyou like he’s some kind of puzzle. Shouyou puffs his cheeks out, and huffs out a sigh. 

“I dunno,” he mumbles, looking down at his feet, tracing the pattern his laces make across his shoes with his eyes. Kozume’s feet get closer, and then his face blocks Shouyou’s view of his feet. 

“Gah!” Shouyou yelps, jerking backwards. Kozume watches him with a glint in his eye, and Shouyou can’t help but laugh. Kozume doesn’t laugh, but he does smile, just a little. 

“Why?” Kozume repeats, and Shouyou’s face burns. 

“I want to be your friend,” he blurts out. “You seem lonely, like...”

“Like you,” Kozume finishes for him, softly. Shouyou squeezes his eyes shut and nods. “Okay.” Shouyou’s eyes snap open. 

“Okay?” He asks, hope bubbling in his chest, threatening to rattle against his ribs. 

“Okay,” Kozume repeats. “We can be friends.” Shouyou whoops loudly, and darts forward, then stops himself short before he collides with Kozume. His hands dance at his sides, as he wants nothing more than to grab the other boy and jump with him. 

“I’m Hinata Shouyou,” he introduces himself. Kozume huffs softly. 

“I know.”

“And you’re Kozume Kenma!”

“I know, Shouyou,” Kozume rolls his eyes at him. Shouyou stops bouncing in place and goes still, looking at Kozume like he hung the moon. He bites down on his lip, stifling the words that want to spill out. 

“Yes,” Kozume says, softer this time. “You can call me Kenma.”

“Kenma!” Shouyou can’t stop himself, grinning widely and jumping in place again. Kenma watches him, and at first Shouyou worries that he’s annoyed, but no. He looks confused, and maybe a bit amused, but not annoyed. Shouyou isn’t used to that, but he likes it. 

“Thank you, for helping me,” Kenma says. He frowns and reaches out to poke at the hole in Shouyou’s uniform. “I’m sorry you got hurt.” 

“It’s okay!” Shouyou rushes to reassure him, not liking the miserable look on his face. “It didn’t hurt that bad, and besides! They would’ve come after me anyways, when they couldn’t find you.” Kenma’s frown deepens. 

“Because you’re quirkless,” he states, and Shouyou falters. He’s never cared too much about being quirkless before, because there was never anything for him to lose from it. Everyone already knew, and made their decisions about him. This, though. This feels different. 

“Uh, yeah,” Shouyou says, laughing shakily. “I am. I’m quirkless. But, but I’m not-I can still—I jump really high! And I’m fast, and I can fit places no one else can! And, and-“ Kenma’s eyes are wide, and Shouyou isn’t sure what he’s done wrong, and then Kenma grabs his hands. Shouyou’s mouth snaps shut, and he doesn’t understand why, but he feels tears stinging his eyes. 

“It’s okay,” Kenma says softly. “I don’t care if you’re quirkless.” Kenma pauses, and his face twists in an odd expression. “No, that came out wrong.” Shouyou wants to tell him that it’s fine, but he clamps his mouth shut and waits. “It doesn’t bother me, is what I meant. There’s nothing wrong with not having a quirk.” 

A few stubborn tears manage to fall down his face, but Shouyou still beams at Kenma, and grips his hands tightly. For once, he can’t say anything, but Kenma doesn’t seem to mind. He smiles and squeezes Shouyou’s hands. 

Shouyou decides that he’s glad he’s so stubborn. Sure, he had to wait a while for it to pay off. But he finally has a _friend_. 

\-----

“Hey Kenma, what do you think of Deku?” Shouyou asks, sitting next to Kenma on their—it’s a they day for Kenma—on their bed. Kenma hums, and shrugs as they work on their next math problem. 

“He seems nice,” Kenma says. Shouyou nods sagely, with all the wisdom of a ten year old. 

“He reminds me of All Might,” Shouyou says, about ten minutes later when he takes a break from his English homework. Kenma looks up from their worksheet and tilts their head. 

“Huh,” they say. “Yeah. I can see it. He even went to America after he graduated like All Might did.” Shouyou grins widely. 

“Now that he’s back, I bet he’ll be the number one hero in a few years!” Shouyou declares. Kenma’s eyes narrow, and their mouth pinches down. Shouyou has learned that this doesn’t mean Kenma is mad. It just means they’re thinking. 

“Hmm,” Kenma hums. “Maybe. It’ll be hard for him to take it from Hawks though.” Shouyou considers that and nods. 

“That’s true,” he agrees. “I think he can do it though. That’s his whole thing! You can do it!” Kenma smiles and nods. 

They both return to their homework, and Shouyou manages to finally get through his English. Kenma has a lot of fidget toys Shouyou can use. It’s one of the main reasons they always do homework at Kenma’s house. That, and Shouyou doesn’t want Kenma to see his. He knows Kenma wouldn’t say anything about the mess, or the bottles, or everything that’s missing and wrong. But they’d know, and Shouyou doesn’t want them to. 

Thinking about it leaves a tightness in Shouyou’s chest, but he knows that’s not the only cause. His shirt has been sitting wrong all day, and no matter how he positions himself, it just feels wrong. The sports bra he’s wearing helps, but it’s not enough. He almost has enough to buy a binder. Just a few more weeks. 

\-----

“Kenmaaaaaaaa!” Shouyou yells, running at his friend and jumping high in the air when he reaches him. Kenma steps back as Shouyou approaches, leaving plenty of room for him to jump. 

“What is it?” Kenma asks, eyes flicking up and down to follow Shouyou as he jumps. 

“He did it!” Shouyou grins. “I heard some of the teachers talking, Deku did it!” Kenma’s eyes widen, and he leans forward with interest. 

“The rankings haven’t come out yet,” Kenma points out. Shouyou laughs brightly. 

“I know, I know, get this!” Shouyou leans in. “Hawks leaked it! He found out, and was so happy to give up the number one spot that he let it slip in an interview!” Kenma snorts softly and shakes his head. 

“I can’t blame him,” Kenma shudders. “I can’t imagine being in the top ten. That’s too much pressure.”

“It means you’ve saved the most people though,” Shouyou counters. “So it’s worth it.”

“I think saving any number of people is worth it,” Kenma muses. Shouyou softens and smiles. 

“Yeah,” he agrees. “Yeah, you’re right. Still! Deku got to the top ten even faster than Hawks, and it only took him a year to make it to number one! He seriously is the best.” 

“And he still seems nice,” Kenma nods approvingly. Shouyou smiles widely. 

“I’m gonna do it,” Shouyou says fiercely. “I’m going to be like him one day.” 

“Of course you are,” Kenma replies. Shouyou loves Kenma, not just because Kenma doesn’t laugh when he says this, but because he _believes_ him. 

\-----

“Um, I’m sorry but, who are you?” Shouyou fidgets in the doorway, staring at a woman who looks like his mom but not, and a girl at her side that looks a lot like himself. The woman’s smile drops, and Shouyou’s hand tightens on the door when he sees a flicker of anger in her eyes. 

“She didn’t tell you,” the woman says, and Shouyou knows that tone. She’s angry, but she’s trying not to be, or at least, she’s trying not to let it show. Shouyou doesn’t know if that’s good or bad though. That takes practice, and consequences. 

“Who didn’t?” Shouyou frowns. He wants to bounce his leg, or tap his knuckles against the door, or something. He’s _nervous_. The woman sighs, and Shouyou nearly slams the door shut. 

“Your mother,” she says. “Is she home?” Shouyou shakes his head, and the woman frowns. “Where is she?” 

“I don’t know,” Shouyou says. The woman narrows her eyes. She probably thinks Shouyou is lying. A lot of adults think he’s lying when he says he doesn’t know things. But he’s not. His mom wasn’t home last night, and she hasn’t been home yet today. 

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” She’s tense, and there’s a tremor in her voice, but she’s still trying not to sound angry. Shouyou trusts that less and less. He swallows, and fixes his gaze on her ear. It’s so much easier when he’s not looking at her eyes. She seems to change her mind about her question. 

“Never mind,” she says quickly. “When will she be back?” Shouyou’s chest feels tight. 

“I don’t know,” he answers. His voice doesn’t usually sound this small. He doesn’t know what’s happening, he just knows he feels wrong. Guilty. The woman reaches for him. 

“Shouyou-“

He jerks backwards, and slams the door shut, twisting the lock into place before he stumbles away from the door. His heart is jackrabbiting around in his chest, and he knows some of the tightness is from his binder, but only some. The doorknob twists, and Shouyou bolts. He runs down the hall to his room, and kicks the door closed behind him. 

Shouyou is short, and fast, and small, and he can fit places other people can’t. Like under his bed. When his mom is in a bad weird mood, Shouyou slides himself under his bed to hide. He doesn’t need to, not really. As long as he’s in his room, he’s safe. She’s never come looking for him on purpose. It’s only bad if he leaves his room. But there’s something about knowing that she _can’t_ get him under the bed that helps. 

So here Shouyou is, twelve years old and hiding under his bed like a little kid. He _hates_ it. He doesn’t know who this woman is, or what she wants, or how she made him feel so _guilty_ for not knowing things. 

He also doesn’t know how she’s in the house now, but she is. He can hear footsteps, two sets of them, and voices. The woman’s and the girl’s. Maybe they found the spare key. The footsteps get closer to his room, and Shouyou clamps his hands over his mouth, squeezes his eyes shut, and tries to be like Kenma. He concentrates really hard, and pretends that he doesn’t exist. 

There’s a gentle knock on his door, and Shouyou startles, ramming his head against the frame of his bed. Tears sting his eyes, but he stays perfectly still and silent. _I’m not here, I’m not here, I’m not here._

“Shouyou?” The woman says softly. “Can I come in?” 

Shouyou doesn’t move, doesn’t speak, doesn’t make a sound. There’s a long, heavy pause before the woman speaks again. 

“Alright,” she says. “I’ll sit out here then. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. You can just listen.” _Good_ , Shouyou wants to say. _Because I’m not going to talk, I don’t want to, I don’t._

“I’m sorry for frightening you,” the woman says. “I’m not angry with you, and none of this is your fault. I didn’t mean to make you feel like it was, but I think I did. So I’m sorry, Shouyou.” Shouyou...likes her voice. She sounds kind. It was hard to notice before, at the door, but he hears it now. He opens his eyes and lowers his hands from his mouth. 

“I also...I realized, if your mother forgot to tell you I was coming, you...” she pauses, and Shouyou hears her take a deep breath. “You might not know who I am. Which is scary. Shouyou, my name is Hinata Haru. Your mother is my sister, so. That makes me your aunt, and Natsu is your cousin.” Shouyou’s eyes widen, and he wriggles forward until he can stare at his door from under the bed. 

He knew his mom had a sister. She’d mentioned her a few times, but she never mentioned that Shouyou had a cousin, or that he could meet his aunt. And sure, this woman could be lying, but...she looks so much like his mom, and him, and so does Natsu. That’s hard to fake. 

“I’ve tried to get in touch with your mom before,” Haru says. Her voice sounds tight, and Shouyou can tell she’s trying not to cry. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, Shouyou. She just disappeared after high school, and she changed her phone number. It took me years to find her, and she didn’t tell me she had a son. Then she disappeared again. This time, when I managed to get her number, I got it from one of her coworkers. And they mentioned you.” Shouyou isn’t under his bed anymore. He isn’t sure exactly when he crawled out and towards the door, but he’s crouched down beside it, arms wrapped tight around his legs. 

“You and Natsu are the same age,” Haru sniffles. “I don’t, I don’t know when your birthday is, so I don’t know which of you is actually older. Natsu wanted to know.” Haru laughs. “She wants to be the oldest.” 

“June 21st,” Shouyou murmurs. He hears Haru breathe in sharply. “My birthday is June 21st.” Haru laughs again, and it hurts Shouyou’s chest. She sounds sad and happy at the same time. 

“Natsu’s going to be happy,” Haru says. Shouyou feels a smile tug at his mouth. 

“She beat me, huh?” 

“Only by one day,” Haru says warmly. “June 20th.” 

“We’re kinda like twins,” Shouyou murmurs. Haru makes that sound again, that sharp inhale of breath, and Shouyou hears her shift closer to the door. 

“Will you open this now?” 

Shouyou’s not scared anymore, not really. He’s nervous, and jittery. He thinks he might be excited. So he jumps to his feet, and swings the door open before he can lose courage. Haru is kneeling on the floor in the hallway, and when she opens her arms, it’s so _easy_ to fall into them. 

She’s so warm, and she holds him like his mom used to, a long time ago. Shouyou thinks she might be crying, and then he realizes that he is too. He’s holding onto her tightly, like he’s terrified to let go, and he’s crying quietly into her shoulder. He doesn’t know why. 

Haru runs careful fingers through his hair, and gently shushes him. She moves a hand to his back, passing up and down, until her hand pauses. Shouyou isn’t sure why at first, but then he shifts and feels her fingers bump along the ridge of his binder. And he realizes...she doesn’t know. Or, she didn’t. And now she does. 

Shouyou rears back out of her arms, tumbling down and pushing himself away. His chest feels tight again, and he’s breathing so _fast_ , but he can’t get enough air. 

“Shouyou, sweetheart-“ Haru reaches for him. 

“I’m a boy!” Shouyou cries loudly. “I’m not a girl, I’m not!” He shakes his head roughly, and squeezes his eyes shut, terrified to look at her. He’s too scared to see the same expression his teachers give him when he corrects them. 

Haru’s hand passes through his hair again, and the other settles gently on his cheek, a thumb rubbing soothing circles. 

“I know, Shouyou,” Haru says softly. “I know. You’re a boy. You’re not a girl. I’m listening, and I hear you. You’re alright.” Shouyou’s breaths begin to slow, and deepen, and the dizziness fades gradually. When he feels brave enough, he opens his eyes, and sees soft, warm ones looking back at him. 

“I-I’m sorry,” he whispers. Haru shakes her head and brushes his hair back away from his forehead, in slow, rhythmic passes with her fingers. It feels nice. 

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Haru says. “You were frightened. That’s not your fault.” Shouyou breathes out shakily, and nods. He likes Haru. A lot. 

“So...you came to meet me?” Shouyou asks, shifting so he can sit up. Haru settles in front of him and nods. 

“I called your mom, and I told her I knew about you, and that I really wanted to meet you,” Haru explains. “And I wanted her to meet Natsu. We’re family. She, she didn’t seem like she wanted it, at first. But she agreed, and we picked today.” Shouyou hums and tilts his head. 

“When?” He asks. Haru looks confused for a moment before she understands. 

“Almost two weeks ago,” she answers. “Finding a day she would agree to was hard. And then...she didn’t tell you. And she’s not here.” Shouyou shrugs. 

“She probably forgot,” he says simply. “If it was a few days ago, she might’ve remembered.” Haru frowns, and tucks some of his hair behind his ear. 

“She forgets things a lot?” She asks. 

“Mhm,” Shouyou nods. “That’s just how it is.” Haru doesn’t seem as okay with that as Shouyou is. 

“Does she...usually leave you home alone?” Haru asks. “Without telling you where she is, or when she’ll be home?” Shouyou shrugs and nods. 

“Yeah,” he answers. “But it’s fine. I’m used to it, and I know how to take care of myself.” This, unfortunately, does not seem to reassure Haru like Shouyou hoped it would. Instead, her eyes fill with tears, and when she closes them for a moment and takes a deep breath, a few slip down over her cheeks. When she opens her eyes again, there’s a familiar glint in them. Shouyou feels like he’s looking at himself, when he’s being particularly stubborn about something. 

“How about we have some lunch?” Haru asks, and Shouyou nods eagerly. He’s pretty much always hungry, so lunch sounds great. Haru pulls him up as she stands, and she keeps holding his hand as they walk towards the main area of the house. Shouyou doesn’t see the point of holding hands indoors, but it feels nice, so he doesn’t complain. 

When they walk into the living area, the girl, Natsu, is sitting on the couch. She’s in Shouyou’s spot—the part he makes sure stays clean so he has somewhere to sit when he’s home alone. She perks up when she sees them, jumping to her feet and grinning widely. 

“We can hang out now, right?” She asks excitedly. Shouyou finds himself responding to her energy, bouncing a little on his feet. He looks up at Haru. 

“Can we?” He matches Natsu’s excitement. Haru _beams_ at both of them, and ruffles Shouyou’s hair. 

“Of course!” She exclaims. “You two hang out, and I’ll look at getting some lunch.” Natsu and Shouyou both cheer, and punch a hand upwards with their glee. Which of course makes them both dissolve into giggles as Haru goes into the kitchen. Natsu looks at Shouyou with bright eyes, and he can tell she wants to say something, but it suddenly occurs to him that Haru is going to the kitchen. 

Shouyou pales, and darts after her, slipping past her to stand in the doorway. 

“Um!” He squeaks nervously. “Actually, could we maybe get take out? There’s, ah. Um. Oh! There’s a place that has ramen! It’s not very far.” Haru’s brows pinch together, and she reaches out to him. Her frown deepens when Shouyou shies back, not letting her touch him. 

“Shouyou,” she prompts softly. “Why don’t you want me to go in the kitchen?” Shouyou’s lip wobbles, and he swallows down his nerves. Haru is asking patiently. His teachers do that too. Ask nicely, and patiently, so he can tell them what he’s done wrong. 

“Um,” Shouyou winces when his voice pitches higher than he wants it to. “It’s...it’s messy.” It’s not technically a lie. The kitchen _is_ messy, just like the rest of the house. Shouyou does his best to keep it clean, but he’s not always successful. Haru sighs softly and reaches out again, touching his cheek. 

“I don’t mind the mess, Shouyou,” she says gently. “It’s alright.” She steps past him to go into the kitchen, and Shouyou doesn’t stop her. He doesn’t know how. He does follow her, and he hears Natsu follow behind him. Shouyou stands by the door, his shoulders hunched as he looks down at his hands, picking at his cuticles. Kenma always tells him it’s a bad habit, that he needs to find a less harmful way to manage his nerves. 

He hears the door to the fridge open first, and Haru’s sharp breath through her teeth. The freezer next, and then the cabinets, one by one. Shouyou counts them as he hears them open, and he knows when she’s finished. 

“Shouyou,” Haru calls out to him, his name sounding more like an exhaled breath than anything. She sounds...upset. Shouyou hums to let her know he heard her, but he doesn’t look up. “Shouyou, sweetheart, please look at me.” Shouyou shakes his head firmly. He hates not doing as he’s told. Hates misbehaving. But he _can’t_ right now. 

Haru walks over to him and lays her hands on his shoulders. She doesn’t squeeze, or dig her nails in, but Shouyou is still tense. 

“Is this normal?” Haru asks quietly. “Is there always so little food here for you?” Shouyou doesn’t answer. He can’t speak, he can’t nod, he can barely breathe. He realizes, from some far corner of his mind, that he’s shaking. Haru slowly pulls him into her arms, wraps him in close and safe. 

“It’s going to be okay,” Haru murmurs into his hair. “I’m here now.” 

Shouyou thinks about All Might—I am here! 

He’s been rescuing himself since he was four years old. Shouyou decides he’s okay with someone else doing the rescuing now. 

\-----

“Shou-chaaaaaaaan!” Natsu yells, barreling through the front door and into the living room. On the one hand, Shouyou wants to be annoyed with her for distracting him from his homework. He’d _just_ gotten into a groove! On the other hand, homework sucks and he’d much rather talk to Natsu. 

He’s been with this new family, this _real_ family, for about a year now. It was hard, at first, to accept that his mom didn’t even put up a fight when Auntie Haru asked for custody. But leaving was so worth it. 

Shouyou is never lonely now! There’s him, Natsu, Auntie Haru, and her wife, Auntie Amahi. Shouyou basically has two moms now, except they’re actually _here_ , and they’re so good to him. Sometimes, Shouyou isn’t sure he deserves everything they do for him. Especially because he hasn’t been able to call either of them mom yet. They’ve told him, over and over, that it’s okay, and that he can call them whatever he’s most comfortable with. 

Still, Shouyou wants to do better, _be_ better, for them. And for Natsu. They’d moved to live closer to Shouyou’s old town, so he could still go to the same school with Kenma, and Natsu could keep going to her school. And they’d helped him with the parts of transitioning that his mom never bothered herself with. His records were finally all officially changed, and his teachers couldn’t get away with misgendering him anymore, not after Auntie Amahi tore into the principal. And Natsu—Natsu is just like Shouyou! They have to do different things to feel comfortable in their skin, because Natsu is a girl and Shouyou is a boy, but still. Now Shouyou has Kenma _and_ Natsu! 

But as much as he trusted them, as amazing as they were about him being trans, he hadn’t trusted them enough to tell the truth about being quirkless. He lied to all three of them, for months, about having a quirk. He told them he had a minor agility quirk, to explain his speed and jumping. They’d found out the truth, though, when Auntie Haru brought him to his first appointment with his new doctor. They’d gone over his medical records, and brought up his quirklessness, and...there’d been a lot of crying. 

His Aunties and Natsu didn’t cry because they were upset about him not having a quirk, or because they were mad at him for lying. Auntie Haru explained that they were crying because they understood why Shouyou felt like he had to lie to them, and they wanted him to feel safer. 

He still hasn’t told his Aunties that he wants to be a hero. He’s told Natsu, though, and she’d promised that they’d do it together. They’d even started training! Kind of, anyways. As much as thirteen year olds can. 

Shouyou recognizes the tone of Natsu’s voice when she runs into the living room shouting his name. That’s her ‘it’s hero time!’ voice. He shuts his textbook and props himself up on the couch, popping his head up enough for her to see him. She slides to a stop, colliding with the back of the couch, grabbing onto it. She leans in close, her eyes wide and wild. 

“Shou-chan!” She repeats. “Guess what I just read!” Shouyou groans. 

“I don’t know, Natsu, what?”

“You have to guess!”

“I refuse,” Shouyou shakes his head, sticking his tongue out at her. She copies his rude gesture and huffs. 

“Fine!” She crosses her arms and grins. “It’s about your favorite.” Shouyou tilts his head and shifts onto his knees, resting against the back of the couch. 

“Deku?” Shouyou leans in. “What’d he do, what did I miss?”

“Well, it’s not just him, but he started it,” Natsu says. She pulls out her phone and presses the screen close to his face, showing him the news article. 

_Number One Hero Deku and Fellow UA Alumni Push For Heroics Programs to Transition Exclusively to Post Secondary Institutions_

“Wait, Natsu, what does that...” Shouyou reads the title again. “That means college, right? Why are you so excited?! That means it’s, it’s farther away!” Natsu pockets her phone and sets her hands on her hips. 

“Yeah!” She nods, grinning brightly. “Which means we have more time to train, and besides! Deku says it’s better this way, because kids shouldn’t be trained for combat. And if Deku says it’s better, then I believe him!” Shouyou considers that, and decides he agrees. Deku really is the best, and not just because he’s Number One. 

Shouyou doesn’t understand everything his Aunties talk about, but they always say that Deku does good charity and advocacy work. And Shouyou has eighteen videos saved on his phone of a meet and greet where Deku told a quirkless kid they could be a hero. So Natsu has a point. If Deku thinks this is better, that it’ll be good for people, then Shouyou will trust him. And Natsu is right—it gives them more time. It gives Shouyou more time to get stronger, to be ready to prove that he can be a hero even if he’s quirkless. 

Shouyou accepted his quirklessness a long time ago, and he’s determined to believe that it’s not a bad thing. That being said...Shouyou wants a quirk. It’s not because he thinks he can’t save people without one. It’s just...Shouyou wants to help so many people. He’d help _everyone_ if he could. That’s what it means to reach the top. It means saving a lot of people, over and over. And that has to mean something, putting that much good into the world. There’s nothing Shouyou wants more. 

\-----

Right about now is when Shouyou _really_ wishes he had a quirk. He’s protected Kenma from bullies for five years. Kenma has always hated it, using their quirk to hide while Shouyou serves as a distraction. But Shouyou always argued that if both of them were going to be targeted no matter what, Kenma might as well hide and stay safe, since they can. And it’s worked, for the most part. 

Not today. Today, Kenma and Shouyou were caught off guard, cornered as they left school grounds. Usually it’s just two or three guys that come after them, but this time they’ve got some friends. Shouyou doesn’t recognize them, and he’s pretty sure they’re high schoolers. 

Shouyou was able to handle the boys from their grade. Their forms are shitty, and it’s laughably easy for Shouyou to deflect their blows and use their momentum against them. The high schoolers though, they’re the problem. One of them has Kenma pinned against a wall. Shouyou has recently learned that Kenma is pretty good at martial arts, which shouldn’t be a surprise since they’re seriously considering applying for heroics. The problem is, when the boy shoved Kenma against the wall, their head hit pretty hard. 

Shouyou gets distracted by the sound, and his concern for his friend, and the two high schoolers going after him take advantage of that. One of the boys kicks at him, and a thin, solid strip of air knocks Shouyou’s feet out from under him. He hits the ground hard, and feels nothing but anger towards the older boy. It’s a familiar feeling. Rage, at his peers who have amazing quirks that someone like Shouyou would use to save others, yet they use them to hurt others, just for fun. 

Shouyou isn’t interested in staying on the ground, and rolls to give himself some extra room. He plants his feet under him, and means to jump up, but another strip of air slams against his chest, knocking the air from his lungs, and serving as a good reminder that heavy activity, like fighting, is a bad idea when wearing a binder. 

Between the near constant blasts of air knocking into him, and the addition of the second boy’s quirk, something touched base that makes Shouyou’s vision really fuzzy, he’s quickly overwhelmed. Everything he’s learned about martial arts is drifting away. Shouyou is left with pain, a desperation to breathe, and a brittle hope that Kenma will be okay after Shouyou failed to protect them. 

“Oi,” A sharp voice cuts through the ringing in Shouyou’s ears. “What the hell is this?” 

“Mind your own fucking business,” one of the boys snarls back. It’s the one making Shouyou’s vision fuzzy, and suddenly, his vision clears. 

“I’m a concerned citizen,” the voice says. Shouyou turns his head and sees a tall boy with messy black hair. “That makes this my business.” 

“The fuck it does!” Wind-boy shouts, and this time, when he kicks in Shouyou’s direction, there’s nothing. “Huh?!” Messy-hair grins lazily. 

“Aw, what’s wrong?” 

“What the fuck did you do?” Wind-boy shouts, turning away from Shouyou to face Messy-hair. Shouyou takes advantage of the boys turning their attention away from him and pushes himself up to his hands and knees. His breaths are still catching and rattling in his chest, and it takes more effort than it should. 

Shouyou can’t focus on what’s being said between Messy-hair and the other boys, but when he turns his head, he sees that both of them are trying to attack. Only, their quirks still aren’t working, and Messy-hair takes advantage of their confusion and panic. Shouyou can tell he’s experienced, _way_ more than Shouyou is. It’s almost frustrating how quickly Messy-hair takes them out. He’s wearing a scarf, an oddly long one Shouyou notices, and he uses it to bind their hands behind their back and to each other. The ends of the scarf, he uses to bind their ankles. 

The boy who had Kenma pinned to the wall, and the boys from Shouyou’s grade, have all run off already. Shouyou figures they probably realized they were outmatched and folded. Kenma is crumpled on the ground against the wall, leaning their head back against it. Messy-hair looks between Shouyou and Kenma for a moment, and then he walks towards Kenma. 

Shouyou knows this kid just saved them, but he’s a little short on trust at the moment. So he pushes himself up, and tries to get between them. 

“Don’t touch them!” Shouyou growls, mustering every bit of stubborn, vindictive rage he can into an intense glare. It might have worked, too, except he stumbles, and has to curl an arm around his middle when there’s a sharp pain through his lungs and along his ribs. He doesn’t collapse, but he’s pretty much useless bent over this far. 

Messy-hair stops though, and holds their hands out calmingly. 

“Whoa, hey,” he says. “Take it easy. I want to help them, and you. You’re both hurt, and I’m sorry I picked them first, but I think they hit their head.” Shouyou wants to stay angry, and protect Kenma, but...

But Messy-hair is using the right pronouns. He isn’t scoffing, or rolling his eyes, like their classmates and teachers do when Shouyou tells them which pronouns Kenma is using that day. He’s just...accepted them, and is using them perfectly. And maybe that’s not the right way to judge someone’s character, but Shouyou doesn’t have a lot of fight in him right now. Messy-hair seems to realize that Shouyou has calmed down. 

“Try to take it easy, okay?” Messy-hair urges gently. “I’ll help you too, as soon as I can.” Shouyou nods, and let’s himself slump down to his knees at Kenma’s side. His arm stays curled around his middle, and he just breathes deep and slow through the pain. 

Messy-hair crouches by Kenma, and checks them over. He asks Kenma a few questions, and Shouyou is relieved to hear his friend’s soft voice. Messy-hair determines that Kenma may have a concussion, so they should probably go to the hospital. He calls an ambulance, and then turns to focus on Shouyou. 

“Where are you hurt?” Messy-hair asks. Shouyou hums and ducks his head down a bit. 

“Just bruises, probably,” Shouyou mumbles. “All over. I’ll be okay.” Messy-hair sighs. 

“You’ve been hugging your chest this whole time,” he says. Shouyou shrugs a bit, as best he can anyways. 

“It’s, that’s not, um,” Shouyou fidgets and winces. “It’s different.” Messy-hair shifts closer, and Shouyou glances at him. 

“I’m worried about your ribs,” he says. “Will you let me check?” Shouyou shakes his head roughly and ducks his head back down. Messy-hair seems like he’s not sure what to do with him. 

“Shouyou,” Kenma murmurs. Shouyou sits up and looks at them. Or he tries, anyways. He can’t bring himself to for more than a few seconds. “You should take it off. It’d be better if you did.” Shouyou’s lip wobbles and he tucks his chin down. 

“Ah,” Messy-hair says. “If it’s what I think it is, they’re right. Hey.” Shouyou reluctantly lifts his head, and finds Messy-hair’s eyes boring intensely into his own. “I can cover those idiots with my jacket and turn around.” He jerks his thumb over at the two boys together with the scarf. They’d been shouting insults and threats at first, but have since been quiet, accepting their fates. Shouyou wants to shake his head, but the tightness in his chest is overwhelming, so he nods. Messy-hair does exactly what he said, and drops his jacket over the high schoolers, keeping his back to Shouyou and Kenma. 

Shouyou shuffles to turn around and face the wall, stripping his shirt off and then his binder, as quickly as he can. He’s a bit slower than normal, because of the pain, but he’s been doing this for so long, it still takes less than two minutes. He’s both more and less comfortable once his binder is off. It’s a lot easier to breathe now, and he’s in less pain. But the shirt he’s wearing isn’t...kind. 

“Um, Messy-hair-san?” Shouyou calls out, then remembers that _maybe_ this guy won’t appreciate that. “Ah, I mean-“ 

Messy-hair turns around, but he’s not angry. No, he’s laughing, practically cackling. 

“At least you threw the san in there to be respectful!” He teases, though it’s a lot different than the teasing Shouyou is used to from other kids. It’s like Natsu’s teasing. Friendly, and warm. “Kuroo Tetsurou, chibi-chan.” 

“GAH, hey!” Shouyou cries out. “Rude! My name is Hinata Shouyou!” Kuroo laughs again, and walks over to crouch down in front of him and Kenma. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he says easily. “No offense meant.” Shouyou sticks his tongue out, leaning forward until he feels his shirt brush against his chest, and winces. Kuroo’s smile fades, and Shouyou watches his eyes flicker from Shouyou’s face to his chest, and then back to his face. Shouyou doesn’t have a chance to snap at him. Kuroo pops to his feet and grabs his jacket. He returns and drops it down around Shouyou’s shoulders. Shouyou stills, his eyes widening. He tugs the jacket closed and zips it up, content to drown in the baggy fabric. He tucks his chin down into the collar. 

“Thank you,” he murmurs. Kuroo smiles gently and ruffles his hair. 

“No problem,” he says. 

The ambulance arrives shortly after that, and organized chaos breaks out. The paramedics confirm Kuroo’s suspicion that Kenma has a concussion, and they decide to bring Shouyou to the hospital as well, because of the extended use of quirks against him. Kuroo helps out by calling their families from their phones. It’s an overwhelming afternoon and evening at the hospital, with Shouyou’s ~~moms~~ Aunties and Kenma’s dads. Kuroo ends up showing up too, to provide some insight on what he saw. 

Shouyou learns that Kuroo is actually their age, just a lot taller. His family had just moved back to the area, and he’ll be joining their school on Monday. Now, Shouyou’s Aunties are talking to the police, hearing about the boys who attacked them. Kuroo and Shouyou are sitting in a waiting room, side by side. 

“Hey, Kuroo-kun?” Shouyou suddenly breaks the comfortable sleepy silence between them. 

“Hmm?”

“You, um,” Shouyou fidgets and plays with the sleeves of Kuroo’s jacket, glad that he can still wear it to hide his form. “You were really good about Kenma’s pronouns. And, and me and my...you know. And the jacket.” 

“Is there a question in there, chibi-chan?” Kuroo raises a brow at him, a gentle teasing smile on his lips. Shouyou puffs out his cheeks. 

“Not really?” He answers. “Just. Thanks.” Kuroo’s smile softens and he lays a hand on Shouyou’s head, ruffling his hair a bit. 

“I _understand_ , Hinata-kun,” Kuroo says quietly. Shouyou’s eyes widen and brighten. 

“Whoa, really?” He asks excitedly. Kuroo snickers and taps a finger on his nose. 

“Yeah,” he nods. “Nonbinary.” Shouyou blinks up at him. 

“Oh! I’ve been, did I use the wrong pronouns? I’m sorry if I did!” 

“Nah,” Kuroo says easily. “You’re good. I’m happy with anything.” Shouyou grins and nods. 

“Okay!” He says. “But you can, if it changes, or you wanna hear a specific one, you can tell me! Like Kenma! Their pronouns change sometimes, so they tell me when we see each other in the morning.” Kuroo’s smile goes crooked. 

“You sound like a good friend, chibi-chan,” he ruffles Shouyou’s hair again. Maybe it should be weird that his hand is still on Shouyou’s head, but Shouyou is a touchy guy himself. He likes the attention. “What about you, hm? Pronouns?” 

“He please!” Shouyou answers. “I’m a boy, and I like he.” Kuroo nods, and he drops his hand from Shouyou’s hair, but he lets his arm rest on Shouyou’s shoulder. 

“You got it,” he says. “I’m glad I met you two, even if the circumstances kinda sucked.” Shouyou groans and sighs. 

“Yeah,” Shouyou mumbles dejectedly. “You had to see me look _pathetic_.” 

“Pathetic?” Kuroo jerks and looks down at him incredulously. “That’s not what I remember seeing.” Shouyou huffs and rubs at his eyes, trying to push the tears back in. 

“I was _useless_ ,” Shouyou hisses. “I got distracted, and they knocked me down, and kept me down. I _know_ how to fight but it didn’t help at all. And then, then you showed up, and I’m pretty sure I know how your quirk works. You, you nullified theirs, which means you fought them quirkless! And you, you didn’t-you weren’t...” 

“Hinata,” Kuroo says firmly, shifting his arm to grip Shouyou’s shoulder. “Look at me.” Shouyou sucks in a shaky breath and looks at Kuroo through his hair. “You are _not_ useless. Yeah, I fought them quirkless, but _they_ were quirkless too. That’s the difference. I have a quirk that gives me an edge in combat, an extra tool in my arsenal that I can use to get a leg up. If you don’t have something like that, you can’t compare yourself to me. You shouldn’t. I’m lucky, Hinata. I’ve had training, _professional_ training, from people with quirks like mine who’ve already done the hard work of figuring out what works and what doesn’t.” Shouyou has to look down. It’s too much. Kuroo’s kindness, his reassurance. It’s too much. Kuroo lays his hand on Shouyou’s head again. 

“You weren’t pathetic,” He repeats. “You were hurt, and in pain, and you still got back up and tried to protect your friend. You were scary, chibi-chan. Keep it up, keep learning. Find your own tools, an arsenal you can use to get a leg up. You’ll be just fine.” 

Shouyou sniffles and takes a deep breath, exhaling shakily. He nods weakly, but any words he wants to say get stuck in his throat. Kuroo hums sympathetically and wraps his arm around Shouyou, pulling him in close. Shouyou is more than happy to accept the cuddles, and burrows in against Kuroo. 

Shouyou thinks about how he’s grown up hearing ‘I’m sorry’ from so many people. Because he’s short, and small, and quirkless, and trans. And so many other things. Kuroo says he’s lucky. Shouyou thinks _he‘s_ lucky too. He has Kenma, and Natsu, and his Aunties. And now, Kuroo. 

Shouyou doesn’t have to rescue himself anymore—he’s strong enough to have people here to help him. Maybe that means he can finally become strong enough to save other people. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and giving this one a shot-let me know what you think! 
> 
> main tumblr: [liarielle](https://liarielle.tumblr.com/)  
> bnha tumblr: [yamadadzawa](https://yamadadzawa.tumblr.com/)  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> [Click here for the info document!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h6rPBGIj_4fvWAzg5ZFS2bvKwx2S6W9sJm_fXukkq_0/edit?usp=sharing)


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